Patents by Inventor Dave A. Herman

Dave A. Herman has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11198415
    Abstract: Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 14, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, David Joseph Orris, Nicholas Scheufler, Nunzio Decia, Stephen Jay Orris
  • Patent number: 10955260
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a predicted wait time at a commercial point-of-interest for an estimated time-of-arrival are disclosed. An example method includes determining an estimated time-of-arrival of a vehicle at a commercial point-of-interest and obtaining current wait-time data and historical wait-time data for the estimated time-of-arrival for the commercial point-of-interest. The example method includes determining, via a processor, a predicted wait time for the estimated time-of-arrival based on the current wait-time data and the historical wait-time data and communicating the predicted wait time to a user interface of the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, Nicholas Colella, Andrea Bowes Chowanic, Colleen M. Cauvet
  • Publication number: 20200017072
    Abstract: Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Publication date: January 16, 2020
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, David Joseph Orris, Nicholas Scheufler, Nunzio Decia, Stephen Jay Orris
  • Patent number: 10501054
    Abstract: Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, David Joseph Orris, Nicholas Scheufler, Nunzio Decia, Stephen Jay Orris
  • Patent number: 10445601
    Abstract: A navigation system for a parking area comprises a plurality of nodes and a server communicating with the nodes. Each node comprises a camera capturing images of the parking area and a low power radio transmitting a radio signal. The server analyzes the images to propose a parking space and provides an arrival sequence of waypoints to the parking space. Each of the waypoints comprises strength and time of flight values of the radio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 15, 2019
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, Perry R. MacNeille, Andrea Bowes Chowanic
  • Publication number: 20190204109
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to determine a predicted wait time at a commercial point-of-interest for an estimated time-of-arrival are disclosed. An example method includes determining an estimated time-of-arrival of a vehicle at a commercial point-of-interest and obtaining current wait-time data and historical wait-time data for the estimated time-of-arrival for the commercial point-of-interest. The example method includes determining, via a processor, a predicted wait time for the estimated time-of-arrival based on the current wait-time data and the historical wait-time data and communicating the predicted wait time to a user interface of the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 25, 2016
    Publication date: July 4, 2019
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Dave A. HERMAN, Nicholas COLELLA, Andrea Bowes CHOWANIC, Colleen M. CAUVET
  • Patent number: 9952304
    Abstract: A method including: receiving a synchronization signal and collecting a rolling shutter image of a modulated light on a sensor, determining a primary frequency from the rolling shutter image, and comparing the primary frequency to an expected primary frequency image to determine a directional movement related to a vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Perry Robinson MacNeille, Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin, Dehua Cui, John William Schmotzer, Dave A. Herman
  • Patent number: 9919740
    Abstract: A method for controlling a lane keep assist system comprises the combination of predicting that a driver may initiate a lane change without using a turn indicator switch and temporarily deactivating the lane keep assist system in response to such prediction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
    Inventors: Nunzio DeCia, Dave A. Herman, Stephen Jay Orris, Jr.
  • Patent number: 9905129
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an emergency corridor utilizing vehicle-to-vehicle communication. An example disclosed system includes an emergency vehicle, infrastructure nodes distributed across a municipal area, and an emergency router. The example emergency router selects a route from a first location of the emergency vehicle to a second location specified by an emergency request. The example emergency router also determines ones of the infrastructure nodes that are along the route. Additionally, the example emergency router instructs the ones of the infrastructure nodes to broadcast emergency messages. The emergency messages include information regarding the route and the emergency vehicle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Dave A Herman
  • Publication number: 20180001870
    Abstract: Example on-demand driver (ODD) systems and methods are described herein. An example method includes generating, with an ODD system, a softkey for a vehicle associated with an agreement between a driver-in-need (DIN) and an ODD, monitoring, with the ODD system, a location of an ODD device carried by the ODD, and transmitting, with the ODD system, the softkey to the ODD device when the ODD device is detected as being within a proximity of the vehicle. In the example method, the softkey is used to unlock the vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 30, 2016
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Inventors: Dave A. Herman, David Joseph Orris, Nicholas Scheufler, Nunzio Decia, Stephen Jay Orris
  • Publication number: 20170352268
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for an emergency corridor utilizing vehicle-to-vehicle communication. An example disclosed system includes an emergency vehicle, infrastructure nodes distributed across a municipal area, and an emergency router. The example emergency router selects a route from a first location of the emergency vehicle to a second location specified by an emergency request. The example emergency router also determines ones of the infrastructure nodes that are along the route. Additionally, the example emergency router instructs the ones of the infrastructure nodes to broadcast emergency messages. The emergency messages include information regarding the route and the emergency vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 1, 2016
    Publication date: December 7, 2017
    Inventors: Nicholas Colella, Dave A. Herman
  • Publication number: 20170243072
    Abstract: A navigation system for a parking area comprises a plurality of nodes and a server communicating with the nodes. Each node comprises a camera capturing images of the parking area and a low power radio transmitting a radio signal. The server analyzes the images to propose a parking space and provides an arrival sequence of waypoints to the parking space. Each of the waypoints comprises strength and time of flight values of the radio signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: August 24, 2017
    Inventors: DAVE A. HERMAN, PERRY R. MACNEILLE, ANDREA BOWES CHOWANIC
  • Publication number: 20170225711
    Abstract: A method for controlling a lane keep assist system comprises the combination of predicting that a driver may initiate a lane change without using a turn indicator switch and temporarily deactivating the lane keep assist system in response to such prediction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 5, 2016
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Nunzio DeCia, Dave A. Herman, Stephen Jay Orris, JR.
  • Publication number: 20170075357
    Abstract: A method including: receiving a synchronization signal and collecting a rolling shutter image of a modulated light on a sensor, determining a primary frequency from the rolling shutter image, and comparing the primary frequency to an expected primary frequency image to determine a directional movement related to a vehicle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Applicant: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Perry Robinson MacNeille, Oleg Yurievitch Gusikhin, Dehua Cui, John William Schmotzer, Dave A. Herman